League champions!

Real Madrid were crowned Liga Endesa champions for the 37^th time in the club’s history after winning the third clash of the final series in Murcia (3-0), capping an undefeated playoff campaign (8-0), a feat that no team has managed since 2011. After a gruelling first half, in which the Whites were trailing by as many as 10 points, the team produced a remarkable third quarter (+18, 16-34) that changed the momentum of the game to round it off in the fourth quarter in emphatic fashion and clinch the league, Copa del Rey and Super Cup treble nine seasons on. Musa, named MVP of the final, was once again decisive with 18 points and 26 in PIR, along with Campazzo (13, 7 assists and 27) and Hezonja (17). This is the fifth title in the two seasons with Chus Mateo as coach.

The Whites came out without feeling the enormous pressure exerted by a jam-packed Palacio de los Deportes de Murcia. They began with a 0-5 lead in the first two minutes that forced a time-out from Sito Alonso. This spurred the home side on and with three triples from Ennis they began to close the gap. Madrid leaned on Musa (6 points and 2 rebounds) to generate plays in the absence of offensive rebounds and to hold off the UCAM Murcia ascendancy, with the hosts finally managing to pull ahead at the end of the first quarter (19-17).

Visitors trailing
The home side upped the tempo, playing more aggressively and maintaining high percentages from the perimeter (50%). Madrid were struggling with their opponents' hard-nosed defence and the continuous turnovers they began to make, which hampered their ability to focus. The only thing they could do was to keep fighting to counter a UCAM Murcia team that had gained momentum and went 10 points up in the second quarter. Llull, with 9 of the team's 15 points, saved his team's blushes (40-32, min. 30).

The third quarter began with a free throw by Caupain after a technical foul against Causeur before the break for protesting a foul by Ennis while driving to the hoop. Murcia continued to build their lead with free throws, but the madridistas kept their nerve. The visitors were put to the test because they were not strong on the defensive rebound and after three minutes, they found themselves conceding more fouls. However, Madrid rediscovered their winning character. They stepped up their intensity at the back, controlled the rebounding and in attack Campazzo, Musa, the MVP of the final, and Hezonja led the way. Trailing by 9 points with 24' on the clock, the three players combined to score 22 points for a commanding 5-24 run and a 16-34 total in the third quarter. This 18-point margin is the biggest difference in a single quarter in the history of the final playoffs (56-66, min. 30).

Madrid stand firm
Madrid then shifted into their strongest gear. They brushed aside everything else and pressed to defend the lead with all their energy, which is a lot to ask in the 86th game of the season. Radebaugh and Sant-Ross attempted to bring their team back into the game at 64-69 at the start of the final period, but the visitors were now in command. The Whites displayed their collective strength. Abalde and his performance in important minutes, the sacrifice in the paint by Poirier and Yabusele, who shut down the zone, and the flair of Campazzo and Hezonja to spearhead a 3-11 lead that proved too much for the home side (73-84). Chus Mateo's troops reached their highest number of victories in a season with their 72nd in 86 games.

STATISTICS FROM UCAM MURCIA-REAL MADRID